Wounds of the past
by nothinparticular
Summary: Only a few months after rejoining the team, Emily and the BAU are called back to Boston, the city that haunts more than one of the agents' nights. When the case becomes deeply personal, can Emily cope with everything or will her past finally tear her down? Will be Emily/JJ eventually. #Jemily, #Rizzoli & Isles in a side role, and lots of #BAUfamily moments. Working title.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Emily frowned as she read the same sentence for what had to be the fifth time.

They'd boarded the plane about half an hour ago and would soon be preparing to land. There wasn't enough time to do more than a very short debriefing on the plane – the journey from New York to Boston took less than an hour – so the team had decided to go through the case folders and discuss their initial impressions and findings once they arrived at the local police station.

However, Emily hadn't exactly gotten that far with the files in her lap and it was really starting to irk her.

She was nervous, that much was clear. Her hands were cold and her head was aching, her pulse was accelerating more the closer they got to their destination.

Boston.

The name alone left a bad taste in her mouth.

Merely a year ago, Emily had died in Boston. More than once actually.

She'd crashed once in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and twice while the doctors were fighting and ultimately succeeding to save her life.

Later, Emily Prentiss had succumbed to her wounds and "died" in that very operation room. She'd been dead for seven long months, hiding away in a tiny apartment in Paris as Emilia Lefevre while her family was mourning at an empty grave, laying down flowers in front of the elegant gravestone.

One didn't just come back from dying. Not the way you were before.

And the experience had changed Emily, had made her stronger but also more vulnerable, had left her open to the world but more closed off at the same time.

She was a walking contradiction and it was becoming very tiring being her.

And now, now that they were returning to Boston, to the city she'd first met Doyle and the city he'd "killed" her in, now Emily Prentiss found it hard to concentrate on even that single sentence. As it stood, even just to breathe seemed to be a challenge.

She startled violently as a soft hand found its way onto her shoulder, all too aware of the worried looks that followed her atypical reaction.

"Em, you all right?" JJ's blue eyes showed true concern as she posed the question, a question that Emily didn't know how to answer.

There was nothing physically wrong with her.

But was she all right?

Not really.

Her compartments weren't functioning as they should and her heart was pushing her to talk to JJ, to ask for the comfort she knew the blonde would gladly offer.

But she didn't. Her compartments might be broken but Emily wasn't simply going to roll over and let her heart rule her tongue. It was dangerous to listen to it, especially where JJ was concerned.

"I'm fine, Jennifer."

"Emily-"

"I'm fine."

"Okay," JJ raised her palms in defeat, leaning back in her seat and scooting closer to the brunette, taking her right hand into her left and intertwining their fingers.

"Jayje, I said I -"

"Just because you're okay doesn't mean I have to be," JJ said quietly, looking deeply into Emily's dark eyes. "We almost lost you, Emily. Don't think you're the only one who's hurting about going back to that city."

"I'm sorry JJ," Emily squeezed the warm hand in her own, feeling her own nerves settle from the simple touch, the closeness of JJ.

"Don't be," the blonde profiler whispered, resting her head on Emily's shoulder and closing her eyes. "Just let me stay here with you until we land and hold my hand."

"Okay," Emily let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Okay. I can do that."

And after giving another gentle squeeze to JJ's fingers, she actually managed to leave behind that annoying sentence and read the rest of the information they had received on the first of the four victims.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

"Hotch," Emily approached the man as they were walking into the tall brick building that was the home of the Boston PD. "Would it be all right if I joined you later?"

"You okay, Prentiss?" the unit chief's concern was obvious in his voice. He'd been watching her and JJ on the plane earlier and knew it couldn't be easy on the brunette. He knew it wasn't easy for him either, coming back to this city. Prentiss was a part of their little family and losing her had been hard on anyone. Keeping the secret that she was alive and hiding somewhere under a false name - with JJ as her handler nevertheless - had been one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Prentiss nodded but didn't meet his eyes. "I actually just wanted to check in on an old friend of mine who lives in Boston. I didn't exactly manage to see her the last time we were around."

Hotch hesitated, remembering all too clear how his agent had run away from the team to chase down Ian Doyle on her own. He really didn't want a repeat of that situation.

"She actually works in the building," Emily added, realizing that he was unlikely to let her go without further information. She'd hurt his trust in her and it wasn't something you repaired over night. He had the right to question her motives and the right to worry.

"Your friend is a police officer?"

"No," she shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "She's the Chief Medical Examiner. We uh, we met overseas. Our mothers moved in the same social circles."

"Well then, by all means. Go and say hello but meet us upstairs in 30," Hotch granted the request, detecting nothing but honesty in Emily's dark eyes.

"Thank you, Hotch."

"You know we're all here for you?"

"I do."

"Okay. We'll see you later." Hotch briefly squeezed her shoulder in a gesture of affection, something he only rarely did with his agents, and watched as she pressed the down button on one of the elevators.

"Em, where are you-" JJ started to ask but Emily had already stepped onto the elevator once she'd noticed what was happening. She turned to their unit chief. "Hotch, where's Emily going? Is she okay?"

"Don't worry, JJ. Prentiss will join us in a little while."

"But-"

"She's gone to see a friend who works here as the medical examiner. Now, the rest of us should go and meet with the detectives."

* * *

Emily was nervously fiddling with the hem of her dark red blouse for the whole elevator ride.

She hadn't seen her in several years and both of them had gone through hell during the last 12 months alone. They talked on the phone of course but there was only so much a simple phone talk could convey. Also, they really only rarely found the time to talk for longer than a few minutes.

Emily also knew that the other woman was still trying to come to terms with her 'death' and the fact that she'd heard about it from her mother a week after the burial had taken place. She'd told her about the day she'd visited her grave and how much it had hurt her that she couldn't say goodbye or even attend the burial.

She was unsure how their reunion would go but she really needed to see her, it had been too long and things in life didn't tend to go the way one planned them to. If she died tomorrow, she did not want it to happen without having seen her best and once only friend again.

Once she got off the elevator, Emily walked through the hallway, finally stopping at a door with a small brass sign on the wall next to it.

She smiled, briefly letting her fingertips glide over the name, finally raising her hand to rap her knuckles against the office door.

"Come in."

Emily stepped into the office and – seeing that her friend had yet to look up from a piece of paper – spoke up: "You're still into these African masks, I see."

The honey-blonde's head snapped up.

"Emily!"

The smaller woman was on her feet in a second, rushing around her desk and throwing herself into Emily's waiting arms just another second after.

Emily wrapped her own arms around the blonde, holding on tightly. She hadn't really realized just how much she'd missed her until now.

"I really missed you, Maura," she then confessed in a rare show of emotion, her walls down, her compartments forgotten for the time being.

"I missed you, too. I can't believe you're here!"

"Yeah, well, I am actually here with the team-"

"Oh," Maura stepped out of Emily's arms, a contemplative look on her face. "I knew they were calling in the bureau… I should've realized it would be you. So you're here for the girls, I take it?"

"We are," Emily agreed, taking the chance to give Maura a once-over. She was wearing a grey pencil skirt and a cobalt blue blouse, looking just as elegant and put-together as she remembered her. Most people wouldn't even wear to a fancy dinner date what Maura wore to work. It perfectly suited Maura though. "Five years. And yet you haven't aged a single day."

"Right back at you, Agent Prentiss," Maura smirked, her eyes twinkling with happiness. "You'll have to stay with me of course. You will, right? Say yes!"

"I would love to Maura, really. It's just... I already kind of promised to bunk with JJ and Garcia. Penelope's hell-bent on sharing a room with us since she so rarely gets to come along and I believe I've heard the words 'slumber party' more than once before we boarded the jet."

"Just bring them along, Emily. Please? I've got plenty of room for all of you and I'd really love to stay up late with you and a bottle of wine or two. There's so much I have to tell you. And I haven't seen my best friend in five years."

"All right, all right. I'll ask them. But don't complain once they're in your house and getting on your nerves," Emily laughed, playfully nudging the ME's side. Checking her watch, she realized it was time to go and join her team upstairs. They still had a case to solve after all.

It had been the right choice to go and see Maura first though. She felt so much better about being here now that she'd seen her.

"I'll have to leave you for now, I'm afraid," she stated, nodding towards the clock on one of the walls. "Gotta go and solve that case."

"In that case, I'm riding up with you. Maybe I can help. I just finished the last autopsy report, actually," she pointed at the papers on her desk, the ones she'd been working on when Emily had surprised her.

"Melanie Gibbs?"

"Yes. She's the third girl to land on my table in two weeks. Jane's really frustrated because they haven't caught their murderer yet."

"Jane?" Emily raised a brow, easily reading the doctor's tone and body language. Whoever this 'Jane' person was, Maura obviously cared for her a great deal.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli," Maura blushed, knowing that Emily had seen in a minute what Korsak, Frankie, Frost, Angela, and even Jane hadn't managed to see in years. Well, she actually believed that Angela did suspect something. So far though, the woman hadn't approached her about it so it was safe to say she didn't know. Yet.

"You like her, don't you?"

"She's my best friend," Maura supplied, hoping it would be enough.

Thankfully, Emily merely commented her words with a wink and a "u-huh", choosing to let it go for the moment. Of course, Maura knew, she would probably just grill her sometime later.

"Well, let's head upstairs then," Emily strode to the office door, holding it open for her friend who quickly picked up her finished autopsy report.

* * *

"Em! I was worried about you!" JJ was at Emily's side the moment she stepped into the conference room they'd set up camp in, her concern momentarily keeping her from noticing the beautiful blonde at her side who was casting curious glances at her.

"I'm fine, Jayje, really," Emily placed a hand on JJ's arm, trying to reassure her. "I just went to meet a friend." She gestured at Maura and JJ's eyes finally landed on the newcomer. The newcomer who was standing very close to Emily. Emily, who usually had an issue with people getting into her personal space.

"JJ, meet Dr. Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner of Massachusetts and an old friend of mine. Maura, this is Agent Jennifer Jareau, my… best friend."

Maura noticed the pause in the other blonde's introduction and wondered just how much the young woman actually meant to her friend. However, she had also noticed the ring on the blonde's finger and decided to talk to Emily in private about her observation.

"It is nice to meet you, Agent Jareau. I am glad someone is looking after Emily in my absence. Does she still drink so much coffee? I told her numerous times that it is really unhealthy to consume such an amount of caffeine each day."

"She sticks to tea nowadays," JJ smirked, shaking the doctor's outstretched hand. "It is nice to meet you as well, Dr. Isles. Call me JJ, please."

"Well, then you should call me Maura. I hear we might be having a slumber party after all."

At JJ's raised brow, Emily hurried to explain. "Maura's invited us to stay at her house for the duration of the case. I told her I'd have to ask you and Garcia first since Pen seems to have something planned."

"Sure," JJ nodded. "If you really don't mind having us. I'm sure Pen will be game. She'll probably pounce on you once she learns you're Emily's friend. Our Em here is pretty private and we've been dying to get some dirt on her."

"Oh, I might have one or two stories to tell you then," Maura smiled, already liking the blonde agent.

"Seriously? You two are teaming up against me two minutes after meeting?" Emily pouted, earning herself a laugh from both women. "I think I'll join Derek instead.."

And with a theatrical sigh, she did just that.

* * *

"So, who is she, Princess?" Morgan drawled out, having watched the three women's interaction with interest.

"Maura and I met in London almost sixteen years ago. Our mothers knew each other from a couple of beneficiary functions and introduced us one day," Emily told him, leaving out the details of their friendship and the two years they'd lived together. She didn't share things readily and even though Derek was one of her closest friends and her partner, she just wasn't used to being open around people.

"So you're friends?"

"We are," Emily smiled, a warm and genuine smile, before she moved to the bulletin board. "But let's get justice for these girls, shall we?"

"You know it."

The two agents were working together for five minutes when a gentle tap on Emily's shoulder interrupted them.

"Hey Emily, I wanted to introduce you to someone." Maura gestured at the tall brunette standing next to her, an attractive woman with obvious Italian roots.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli," the taller woman gave her a smile but didn't extend her hand, a fact that the profiler immediately noticed, followed by the twin scars on her hands. There was definitely more to the the detective than what met the eye at a first glance.

"But you can call me Jane. Already met your boss and your team earlier. You'll meet my partners later, detectives Korsak and Frost. They are having their lunch break right now."

"It is good to meet you, Jane. I'm Emily."

"I know. Maura's told me about you the day she learned that you died. I'm glad that isn't true by the way. She was really shaken by the news."

Emily felt a familiar pang of pain and guilt at the detective's words. She knew how hard it had been for everyone on the team to get over her death and hearing how much it had pained Maura added another name to the list of people she'd hurt because of her past.

"I should get back to work," Emily had to get away from this conversation, she already felt her palms grow sweaty and her heartbeat turn faster. A panic attack in the making. They, too, had become familiar over the past months.

"I would like your input on the murders though," she added, unwilling to push Jane Rizzoli away, knowing how much she meant to Maura. Plus, they were here to solve this case – together.

"Sure thing." The other brunette immediately joined her, starting to retell what she'd seen at the last crime scenes and giving her opinion on the UnSub.

* * *

 **AN:** So, prologue and chapter #1. Did you like/hate it? What do you think about the whole Emily/Maura dynamic?

Well, leave me a review if you have the time.

I will try to update this once a week. Chapter 2 should be ready within the next one or two days though. :-)


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much to everyone who's taken an interest in this story so far. I'm glad you can see the Maura/Emily friendship; I think the way they grew up and the social circles they move in/were born into are very much alike. And I'm sure they'd like each other if they ever met.

Well, here it is, only a day after (as promised), **Chapter 2.**

* * *

Two hours later, most of the agents had left the precinct. Rossi and Reid were inspecting the bedrooms and homes of their victims – all of the girls had still lived at their childhood homes – Hotch and JJ were talking to the parents of the latest victim – Shannon Donall had been abducted three days ago and was possibly still alive – and Garcia and Morgan were out on a coffee run.

Only Emily remained behind, still studying the information they had on the girls.

She knew that there was something off but as of now, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

She wasn't alone in her quest though. While Maura had returned to the cellar to perform an autopsy for another case, Jane as well as Barry Frost and Vince Korsak were with her, going through the case files again and again, trying to find the missing puzzle piece.

And finally, just moments before the phone call that would forever change her life – even though she didn't know that yet – it clicked and things fell together.

Luckily enough, Garcia and Morgan returned right when that thought hit her.

"Penelope, I need you to find out if Ciara Benton was adopted or conceived through more unconventional means like IVF. The same goes for Therese Parker."

"What are you on to, Emily?" Jane asked, looking at the profiler with hope. That guy had already taken four too many girls from their families, three of them forever.

"Sarah Jackson and Melody Gibbs. Sarah was adopted when she was four after the Jacksons had fostered her for three years. And Melody is the daughter of two gay men who were lucky enough to find a surrogate." She moved closer to the board, pointing at the family photo of the Bensons. "Ciara's parents both have brown eyes, Ciara's are a light blue, a recessive gene. Also, she doesn't really share any features with her parents besides her brown hair."

"You think our guy's targeting girls that are either adopted or came to their families in another not completely biological way?" Frost picked up on what the profiler was thinking.

"I do."

"And I think you've just hit the jackpot, Princess," Garcia announced, everyone quickly assembling around her laptop to see what she'd found.

"Ciara has been adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Benton when she was still a newborn," Garcia explained, showing them the results of her search. "And Ms. Parker is the product of her mother's eggs and a sperm donor, her daddy is sterile due to an infection he had as a kid."

"What about Shannon Donall?" Jane asked, getting excited with the prospect of having found the connection between the girls.

Garcia hacked away at her keyboard and whistled a moment later. "Biological parents died in a car accident when she was three. She was adopted by her aunt and uncle."

"I'll call Hotch and the others," Morgan pulled out his phone, proudly nodding at Emily. "We'll get that son of a bitch."

A phone rang and the only female detective excused herself. "Rizzoli."

Emily knew by the look on Jane's face that Shannon Donall had just been found. Her suspicion was confirmed once the Italian moved her cell back into the pocket of her pants.

"Shannon Donall's body was found in a park about six miles from here." Her features turned grim. "And another girl has already been taken. 17-year-old Luciana Watson. She was taken from her home, the UnSub shot her parents. Mr. Watson died on scene but Mrs. Watson is being rushed to the hospital as we speak. It doesn't look good though."

"He's evolving fast," Emily frowned, her mind wandering to the girl that was somewhere in this godforsaken city, frightened and alone, at the mercy of a psychopath. They had to find that girl before it was too late. "He only kept Shannon for three days. If we're lucky, Luciana has two."

"Baby girl, can you find out if Luciana fits our victimology, see if she was adopted or something?"

"I'll tell you in two seconds, my sexy chocolate Adonis," Garcia started typing. A few seconds after, her fingers stopped and a frown appeared on her face.

"Pen, what is it?" Emily stared at the screen, trying to

decipher the meaning of the endless numbers and countless pop-ups that had just appeared.

"Well, this is interesting," Garcia mumbled more to herself than the others. Then, she punched in a few orders and whirled around in her seat, facing the confused profilers and detectives. "There seems to be an adoption record for Luciana but it was sealed by the state, so I can't get any more information than that. I've started a little program though, so we should know more in the morning."

"Why would the government seal an adoption record?" Korsak was the first to ask the question that was perched on most of their tongues, waiting to plunge out into the open.

"Someone might've wanted to keep the pregnancy and birth a secret? Maybe the mother was in a precarious situation? Maybe it's even got something to do with witness protection..."

"Oooooh," Garcia reacted with excitement to Emily's suggestions. "Maybe she's the lost daughter of a movie star! Or maybe even royalty!"

Emily dryly chuckled. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Do we have a photo of the girl?"

"Right here," Garcia clicked on a tiny picture, enlarging it for everyone to see.

Luciana Watson had slightly wavy, dark brown hair that was almost black, pale skin, and a pair of large hazel eyes. It was a picture from the latest school yearbook and the junior seemed genuinely happy, her eyes full of life.

Emily just hoped that it would stay that way, that they found her in time. The girl had just lost her father – and maybe her mother, too – but they'd do everything to save her life.

* * *

A few minutes later, the rest of the BAU returned to the precinct, JJ immediately seeking out Emily's nearness. The blonde didn't like to leave her out of her sight, not in this city and not after what had happened the last time they'd been here.

"Prentiss," Hotch addressed the brunette, giving her a solemn nod. "Good work. Take JJ and meet with Dr. Isles and Detective Rizzoli at the crime scene where Shannon Donall was found. Reid, I want you to stay here and create us a geographical profile. Rossi, Morgan, go to the Watsons' house, see if you can learn anything new about our UnSub. Garcia and I will talk to the press and try to keep them from publishing anything about the developments in the case."

* * *

JJ and Emily arrived at the park about fifteen minutes later.

They followed the trail of the yellow tape and the crowds of policemen and onlookers alike, soon finding themselves standing in front of Shannon's dead body.

Maura was already crouched down next to the girl, examining the strangulation marks on her neck and the bruises and chafing around her wrists.

"Time of death?" JJ asked innocently, causing both Jane and Emily to snort and roll their eyes as Maura looked at her with incredulity.

"She doesn't like to guess, Jen," Emily explained, gesturing to Maura.

"Yeah, she really doesn't," Jane agreed with a smirk. "Gives her the hives. You'll have to wait until she's done the autopsy."

"Does she still refer to blood as reddish brown stains?" Emily wanted to know, remembering only too well how Maura didn't assume anything until there was definite proof.

"She does," the detective chuckled, lovingly glancing at the ME.

"You can't know it's blood without the proper tests," Maura defended herself, playfully glaring at the two women she considered her best friends as she closely inspected Shannon Donall's fingernails. She couldn't be a hundred percent sure yet, but it seemed as though they were out of luck once more. Her fingernails were very clean – the girl most likely hadn't managed to scratch her killer. Of course she'd run samples in her lab anyway. Just to make sure.

* * *

A few hours later – it was already rather late – found Emily and Maura sitting on the ME's couch. Jane had held out the longest and left for her apartment about half an hour ago, while Garcia and JJ had headed to bed around midnight, no longer able to keep their eyes open.

Now that it was just the two of them, a deep silence had settled over the room, both women trying to find the right way to ask what they really wanted to ask.

Until finally…

"So, Jane...?"

"So, JJ…?"

They laughed, sharing a wide smile that conveyed more than words ever could.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Maura asked, looking at her old friend, hoping she held the answers she'd been looking for.

"We? Nothing. But you should."

"Why not you? The ring?" the medical examiner remembered the beautiful rose golden band she'd noticed on the blonde agent's hand hours before at the precinct.

"That's part of the reason, yes," Emily nodded, taking a sip of her wine. "I helped him choose that ring." A sad and disbelieving chuckle escaped her own throat. "He's one of the good ones, Will. A police detective. They share a son who is the most adorable little boy I have ever seen. And even if it wasn't for him and Henry... just look at me, Maura."

Maura raised a brow at her friend. "I see a striking woman. A woman who is smart, brave, loyal, and sadly, sometimes a little reckless. A woman who is damn good at her job because she cares so much. A woman who would protect those she loves at any cost. Should I go on?"

Emily actually blushed a little at her friend's flattering description. But while she knew she had once been that woman – and maybe she was still there, hidden away from the world – she didn't feel like her at all. She was a broken copy of herself. Vulnerable and just waiting to break down completely, to shatter into a thousand pieces. Afraid of her own shadow. And scarred. There were so many scars, both on her body as well as her soul. Someone as pure as JJ should never be burdened with the likes of her.

"I'm not that woman anymore," she murmured bitterly, draining the last of her wine. "But maybe," she perked up again, another oddity that seemed to happen quite often these days – rapid mood swings. "Maybe I should consider courting you." Emily winked at her friend, thankful to share this moment with her, to be able to talk to her in person and not over the phone.

"Ah, or not," she added with a smirk. "I wouldn't want to cross Jane Rizzoli's territory."

Maura playfully slapped her arm. "We had our try – and you know it didn't work out. I'm glad we stayed friends."

"Me, too. — So, tell me about Jane."

"She's... Jane," Maura's face lit up. "She's just special. You and her? You're the two strongest persons I know. You have a lot in common actually."

"I like her," Emily gave her approval. "She seems to be a good person and a good cop, too."

"It's a shame you're only here for the case," Maura absent-mindedly played with the rim of her glass.

"I know. But I promise to make more of an effort from now on to make time to see you. I do have the obligatory six weeks off after all."

"I'd love that, Em. I really missed you."

"Me, too. Now, let's get to bed. It's almost 2 and we have to be back at the station by 7:30."

"You're right. Good night, Emily."

"Good night, Maur."

* * *

Emily was standing at the edge of a seemingly endless black hole, struggling to keep her balance as something invisible pushed her towards the abyss.

As she slid closer and closer to the edge, eventually she could make out the faces of her team at the far bottom of the hole. Their eyes were just empty sockets and their faces were sunken and bloodied.

Dead.

All of them.

Now that she actually wanted to let go, to fall and join them, the invisible push stopped and Emily found herself turning around.

She came face to face with the man responsible for most of her pain, a man she'd shared her body with but not her heart.

"Ian."

"So nice of you to join us, Emily," he pointed at the abyss behind her, at the bodies of her colleagues, her friends – her family.

"What did you do?"

He laughed. "Nothing much yet. You see, there are still three people missing. And I want you to suffer as you watch them die!" He raged as three chairs suddenly appeared behind him. Three people were bound to the chairs, unconscious and badly beaten up.

Jennifer.

Maura.

Henry.

"No, please, no!" she begged as he walked towards them, deciding whom to shoot first. "Please, don't hurt them. Take me instead. Please. Not them..."

"Emily, Em, you have to wake up!"

JJ's voice called from somewhere above her and Emily craned her neck to look at the sky.

Only it wasn't there.

Above her were the worried faces of three blonde women.

JJ, Penelope, Maura.

"Em, hey," a soft hand cupped her cheek, trying to get her to focus. "It was just a nightmare. You're safe."

Emily blinked a few times and quickly sat up in the bed, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

Just a bad dream. Again.

She rarely managed to sleep through the night these days, more often than not waking up with a silent scream on her lips.

Or wasn't it? Silent?

"Why are you all here?" she asked, her voice raspy with sleep, dreading the answer.

"You were screaming, Emily. JJ was the first to get here since her room is right next to yours." Maura looked at her with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Fine, yeah. I'm fine," Emily felt uncomfortable and naked underneath their gazes. She quickly scrambled out of bed, shooting each of them a small smile and briefly rubbing Garcia's shoulder.

"I'm fine. You should go back to bed," she nodded towards the alarm clock that read 4:53 a.m. "I'll just go to the bathroom real quick, then I'm off to bed, too."

"All right," Maura conceded, knowing that Emily wouldn't want to talk about it. Not without some coercion and especially not in the middle of the night. "You know where to find me."

Emily nodded and headed into the ante-bathroom. She splashed some water into her face and ran a hand through her hair. She hated it when others saw her weak. She was a Prentiss, she was supposed to be strong and always put-together. After looking once more at her mirror image – god, she looked exhausted – she returned to the bedroom, only to stop in her tracks when she found that JJ hadn't moved from the spot she'd been standing in before.

"I uh… Can I stay here, Em?" she nervously played with her hands, looking at a point behind her instead of meeting her eyes. "It's just-"

"Yes."

"I know- Yes?"

"Yeah. Stay," Emily walked past JJ and got back into bed, lifting the covers for the blonde. She knew that it was only partially for her sake. JJ was frightened, too. So how could she send her away when she was seeking comfort from her? "Get in. We have to get up soon enough."

And without further words, JJ quickly climbed into the bed next to her, hesitantly nestling her back against Emily's chest.

"Is this okay?"

"Sleep, Jayje."

"Night, Em."

"Good night."

And before JJ could fall asleep, Emily slowly brought her left arm around JJ's middle, holding her, a smile appearing on both of their faces.

* * *

 **AN:** So how did you like the new chapter (Maura and Emily's little chat, thoughts on the case)?

Oh, and do not worry, this was so not the mentioned slumber party scene - that'll come a little later.


	3. Chapter 3

The night was over way too soon. After having coffee and a rushed but filling breakfast – thanks to Jane's mother Angela Rizzoli who, as they learned, lived in Maura's guesthouse – they returned to the precinct to continue the work on their latest case.

* * *

"So, why do you think is the UnSub killing these girls?" Jane sidled up to Emily, nodding toward the bulletin board that was plastered with the gruesome pictures of the dead girls. "And do you think we are dealing with a man or a woman?"

"Well," Emily began, intently studying the photos. "Usually serial killers are more likely to be male. Stranglers, too. But this one? I think it is a woman.. The UnSub might identify with the victims. The way we found their bodies makes me think that they regretted the murders afterwards. Eyes closed, hands folded on their chest..."

"Like she's laying them down to rest," Jane finished the thought.

"Exactly."

"Do you think-" Jane's next question was interrupted by the arrival of Garcia, who was giving Emily a strange look.

"Emily, can I speak to you for a moment? Alone? I uh… need your advise on something private."

Emily frowned at Penelope's odd question but excused herself from the homicide detective and followed her friend to an empty office room.

When Garcia drew the blinds and placed her laptop on the desk, Emily knew that this wasn't about giving her advice.

"Penelope?"

"You know how I joked yesterday that Luciana Watson could be royalty?"

"Yeah," Emily nodded, sitting down on the edge of the desk as Penelope opened her laptop and hit a series of keys on the keyboard. "Why? You're not saying the girl really is-"

"She kind of is, Emily," Garcia turned the computer towards Emily, letting her see the adoption papers. "You know how we always call you 'Princess'? Well, she's yours, Emily. Luciana Watson is your daughter. Why did you never tell us you had a child? First the whole Lauren fiasco, now this... I don't get it Emily, why the many secrets? Do you not trust us? — Emily?"

Emily felt her heart come to a stop and her lungs constrict painfully in her chest. She sank down to the floor, hands in front of her face, shielding herself from the reality that came crashing down on her like a riptide. She felt as though she was going to drown; her breathing was coming ragged and strained and her mind seemed to be going in circles.

 _The pregnancy test. Positive._

 _John and Matthew._

 _Father Lorenzo._

 _The abortion clinic._

 _Telling her mother._

 _Deciding to keep the baby._

 _Being sent away to a remote cloister so no-one would notice her growing belly._

 _The pain. So much pain._

 _And blood._

 _Rivulets running down her thighs. Sticky. Wet._

 _The smell._

 _The doctor's voice as she drifts out of consciousness._

 _Waking up._

 _Cold and clean._

 _Her mother, holding her hand. Informing her of the 'baby's passing'._

"Figlia mia... Dov'è lei? Ho una figlia. Lei non è morta… lei non è morta." (My daughter... Where is she? I have a daughter. She didn't die... she didn't die.)

After trying in vain to get through to Emily, Penelope hurried back to the conference room, unceremoniously pulling a protesting JJ after her. However, once she mentioned Emily's name, JJ's eyes widened and suddenly Garcia was the one being dragged along.

They burst into the office together, stopping short at the mess that was Emily.

"Figlia… Lei non è morta… lei non è morta."

"She's been speaking Italian for the past five minutes, always the same words. But I can't make any sense of it and I can't get her to snap out of it. I'm sorry, JJ, I shouldn't have told her on my own, I should've gotten you or Derek or.." She broke off as a flash of brown and blue moved past them and sank to their knees in front of Emily.

"Emily, hey," Jane Rizzoli carefully reached out to the shocked woman, placing a hand on her shoulder. Emily didn't flinch but she didn't react at all either. She was staring right through the detective and her lack of a reaction was starting to scare all of them.

Furrowing her brows, Jane tried a different tactic:

"Stai bene. Mi senti? E anche Luciana va bene. Vedrai. Troveremo tua figlia. Te lo prometto." (You're okay. Do you hear me? And Luciana is okay, too. You'll see. We'll find your daughter. I promise.)

Jane had never been more grateful for her mother's insistence to teach her Italian than right in this very instance. Because slowly clarity returned to Emily's eyes and she blinked once, then twice, then finally focused on the three women that were now crouched on the floor around her.

"She didn't die," she repeated the words she'd muttered in Italian. "Luciana… She didn't die."

"You didn't know your child was alive? But-"

Emily began to explain before Garcia could go on.

"Mother told me the baby had been a stillborn," she glanced at the adoption records that were still on the laptop's screen. There it was. Elizabeth Prentiss. Her mother had signed them, had signed her baby away to a couple of strangers. Emily didn't know whether to be angry or sad and while the feelings were warring for the upper hand, all she felt was empty and tired. "She never even told me if it was a boy or a girl. Told me to just forget... but I never could. And now.. she's alive?"

"Luciana Watson is your daughter?" JJ finally caught up on what was happening, a gasp escaping her throat as she realized the onslaught of emotions Emily must be experiencing. No wonder she'd broken down.

"Do you remember Matthew Benson and John Cooley?"

"From that creepy exorcism case?" Garcia shuddered at the memories. "Yeah."

"I was 15 when I got pregnant. The result of a drunken night with John. We'd moved to Italy almost a year and a half before and I still didn't fit in. Not with the local kids and not even with those of the English private school I was attending. So one night, I finally snuck out to go to one of the parties the others always went to. And John, well… he was charming and stayed by my side the whole evening, showing what seemed to be genuine interest in who I was." She chuckled bitterly. "He was 18 and I was easily convinced that he was exactly what I needed to dull the pain and loneliness. I got drunk and one thing led to another. John only shrugged his shoulders when I told him I was pregnant eight weeks later. It was Matt who helped me through this once he'd managed to get me to open up to him. He went with me to the abortion clinic, his saved pocket money in his jean pocket to pay for my mistake. But when I was inside the examination room and I heard the baby's heartbeat… I just couldn't bring myself to go through with it."

"So you decided to keep it?" JJ asked, trying to imagine how lonely and scared 15-year-old Emily must've felt. Hell, she'd been scared shitless when she'd learned about her own pregnancy. And she'd been 26.

"I did. And two weeks later, I finally found the courage to tell my mother… Three days after, I was on a train to a remote cloister near the German-Italian border. Mother's immaculate reputation couldn't be sullied by a teenage pregnancy..."

"Oh, Em," JJ pulled the raven-haired woman into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry."

"We have to find her before... before the UnSub kills her," Emily had trouble to wrap her tongue around the words. "I've already failed her once."

"We will, Emily," Jane squeezed the agent's shoulder. "A Rizzoli never breaks a promise."

"We have to tell Hotch, Em," JJ stated, meeting her friend's dark eyes. They all knew that Hotch might decide to pull her off the case and make her sit on the sidelines but he needed to know. There was no way around it.

"I know," Emily nodded, scrambling to her feet, the others following her lead. "I'll go talk to him."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Garcia asked, her big concerned eyes never leaving Emily's face. She felt terrible for confronting Emily like that. If only she'd known.

The remorse must've been visible on her face because the next thing she knew, Penelope found herself on the receiving end of a rate Prentiss hug.

"It's okay, Pen. You couldn't know. I kept it from you and the team after all. Thank you for giving her back to me." Then Emily left the room and went to find Hotch. This was something she needed to do on her own.

* * *

"Emily!"

Emily turned around to find the pathologist jogging to catch up to her. She'd been on the way to the little café on the precinct's ground floor to get coffee for everyone as well as a few minutes of relative silence where she didn't need to talk to anyone. She still had to go and talk to Hotch and the others but first, she needed to take a moment for herself to gather her thoughts.

However, seeing Maura made her smile nonetheless. The honey blonde could never bother her.

"Jane told me," Maura's eyes told Emily everything she needed to know. That Maura was sorry, that she was there for her, that she was worried about her.

Apart from Rossi and Matthew, Maura had been the only person she'd ever told about the child she'd 'lost'. When Emily had met Maura, the memories of the pregnancy had still been fresh, the loss of her child still leaving her heart bare and her emotions raw. It had been a dark time in her life and sometimes she wondered if Maura had been the one thing that had made her push through that darkness and back into the light.

"So, does that make me an aunt?" Maura asked as she linked her arm through Emily's, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't even know if that makes me a mother, Maura. I honestly don't think so... Luciana already has a mom and she's fighting for her life at this very second. — But if I was a mom? You'd definitely be godmother. There's no-one I'd rather leave my child with than with you."

The medical examiner smiled at her friend, playfully pecking her cheek as they walked into the café. "I love you, too, Emily. We'll get through this, just like sixteen years ago."

* * *

 **AN:** Sorry it took me so long to update. Now, did anyone anticipate this "little" surprise? What do you think of it? Let me know 😊


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